Bridle device for a surfboard

ABSTRACT

A bridle device for a surfboard includes a flexible rope having its lower end connected with an engage member with an arc-shaped projecting surface. A rope-fitting holder is threadably combined with a connecting base of a board body, having a center hollow. The center hollow has its upper and lower end respectively formed with a small-diameter and a large-diameter hole, the small-diameter hole having its inner wall formed with an arc-shaped recessed surface. The flexible rope has its lower end and its engage member inserted in the rope fitting holder respectively through the small-diameter and the large-diameter hole, letting the arc-shaped projecting surface of the engage member push against the arc-shaped recessed surface in the inner wall of the small-diameter hole. Thus, the flexible rope and the rope-fitting holder can interact to perform three-dimensional turning of 360 degrees.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a bridle device for a surfboard, particularly to one simple and secure in structure, easy to be produced and able to perform three-dimensional turning of 360 degrees smoothly.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional surfboard, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a board body 10 and a bridle 20. The board body 10 has a section inserted therein with a connecting base 13 consisting of a rod base 11 a and tube base 12 and respectively secured on the lower and the upper side of the board body 10. The tube base 12 is provided with a tying hole 121 at the topside.

The bridle 20 is formed with a flexible rope 21 having each end provided with a metal rotary head 22 and a metal rotary base 23, and the metal rotary head 22 is restricted to turn axially with the rotary base 23. The rotary base 23 and the end of the bridle 20 are wrapped with thermoplastic cover 24 molded integrally and let solidified in shape so as to fix the two metal rotary heads 22 on the opposite ends of the flexible rope 21. The upper and the lower metal rotary head 22 have their free ends respectively bored with a threading hole 221, with a nylon rope 25 threading through both the threading hole 22 of the lower rotary head 22 and the tying hole 121 of the tube base 12 to tie the flexible rope 21 to the board body 10. The metal rotary head 22 at the upper end of the flexible rope 21 has a proper portion inserted in a hand strap 26, with a connecting tie 27 inserted through the threading hole 221 of the upper metal rotary head 22 and sewed together with the hand strap 26. Thus, a surfer is able to control the surfboard body 10 by holding the hand strap 26 of the bridle 20.

However, the bridle device 20 of the conventional surfboard has the following drawbacks.

1. The metal rotary head 22 can turn around smoothly only when it is positioned perpendicular to the board body 10. But, in reality, the rope body 21 is usually positioned horizontal to the board body 10 when it is pulled and bent in surfing, rendering the metal rotary head 22 unable to turn around smoothly due to a lateral force.

2. The metal rotary head 22 pivotally combined with the rotary holder 23 can be connected with the flexible rope 21 only after the rotary base 23 is wrapped with a thermoplastic cover 24 molded around the rotary holder 23 and let solidified in shape, complicating the producing process.

3. Turning action of the bridle 20 relative to the board body 10 completely depends on the metal rotary head 22 and the metal rotary base 23 combined pivotally, but the metal-made rotary head 22 and rotary base 23 are liable to rust and corrode, hindering it from turning smoothly.

4. The tube base 12 of the board body 10 is tied together with the metal rotary head 22 by the nylon rope 25, increasing cost in material and labor, influencing integral beauty and rendering the nylon rope 25 liable to loosen off due to improper tying.

5. The metal rotary head 22 and the flexible rope 21 are combined together by the thermoplastic cover molded and let solidified in shape, unstable in adhesion and likely to fall off.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to offer a bridle device for a surfboard, provided with a flexible rope having its lower end connected with an engage member which has the upper side formed with an arc-shaped projecting surface. A rope-fitting holder is threadably combined with a connecting base provided in a preset portion of a board body. The rope-fitting holder is formed with a center hollow having its upper and lower end respectively formed with a small-diameter and a large-diameter hole, and the small diameter hole has its inner wall formed with an arc-shaped recessed surface. The flexible rope has its lower end and its engage member inserted in the rope fitting holder respectively through the small-diameter and the large-diameter hole, letting the arc-shaped projecting surface of the engage member closely contact with the arc-shaped recessed surface in the inner wall of the small-diameter hole. Thus, the flexible rope and the rope fitting holder can interact to perform three-dimensional (3-D) turning of 360 degrees, having secure combination between the bridle and the board body and enabling the bridle to turn for 360 degrees smoothly and stably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional bridle device assembled with a surfboard:

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flexible rope, the rotary base and the rotary head of the conventional bridle device:

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bridle device assembled with a surfboard in the present invention:

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the bridle device and the surfboard in the present invention:

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the connecting base of the board body in the present invention:

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a flexible rope combined with a hand strap in the present invention:

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the flexible rope connected with the connecting base in the present invention: and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible rope having its opposite ends capable to turn around for 360 degrees in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a bridle device for a surfboard in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, includes a board body 30 and a bridle 40 combined together.

The board body 30 has a connecting base 32 installed in a preset portion for connecting and fixing the bridle 40 and a vertical combining hole 31 with a proper shape bored between the topside and the bottom side.

The bridle 40 consists of a hand strap 41, a flexible rope 42, two engage members 43, a rope holding base 44 and a rope fitting base 45.

The connecting base 32, as shown in FIG. 5, is composed of a tube base 33 and rod base 34. The tube base 33 is formed with a connecting stud 331 in a lower portion and a flange 332 in an upper end. The tube base 33 further has its upper portion bored with a female-threaded hole 333 with a large diameter and a small female-threaded hole 334 in its lower portion communicating with the large female-threaded hole 333, which has its upper outer circumference provided with a position recess 335. The rod base 34 is formed with a male-threaded shank 341 having its lower end extending outward and a flange 342. The flange 342 has a groove 343 bored in the center. Thus, the connecting stud 331 of the tube base 33 and the threaded stud 341 of the rod base 34 can be inserted in the combining hole 31 respectively through the upper and the lower side of the combining hole 31 and then the male-threaded shank 341 of the rod base 34 is screwed together with the small female-threaded hole 334 of the tube base 33, letting the flanges 332, 342 of the tube base 33 and the rod base 34 respectively push against the upper and the lower side of the board body 30 to combine the connecting base 32 with the board body 30.

The hand strap 41, as shown in FIG. 6, is made of a preset material shaped as band, having its opposite ends respectively provided with a Velcro band 411 able to stick with each other to form a strap. The hand strap 41 has preset portions overlapped and sewed together to form a hollow portion 412 having its lower end bored with a threading slot 413.

The flexible rope 42 is made of plastic and has excellent flexibility, having its intermediate portion coiled and its opposite ends respectively formed with a head 421 with a comparatively large diameter by thermal-fusing.

Each engage member 43 is composed of a semi-spherical bottom shell 431 and a semi-spherical top cap 432 respectively made of plastic and combined into a sphere, with the outer circumferential side of the bottom shell 431 formed with an arc-shaped projecting surface 433. The two bottom shells 431 are respectively bored with a through hole 434 in the center for the opposite ends of the flexible rope 42 to be respectively inserted therethrough before their heads 421 are formed so that the head 421, after thermo-fused in, shape, can be restricted and fixed in the inner side of the through hole 434 of the bottom shell 431.

The rope holding base 44 of a tubular shape has its interior formed with a through center hollow 441 having its upper end formed with a large-diameter hole 442 and its lower end formed with a small-diameter hole 443 having its inner wall formed with an arc-shaped recessed surface 444. The flexible rope 42 has its upper end inserted through the small-diameter hole 443 and its engage member 43 received in the large-diameter hole 442, letting the arc-shaped projecting surface 433 of the engage member 43 closely rest on the arc-shaped recessed surface 444 in the inner wall of the small-diameter hole 443. In addition, the rope holding base 44 has its opposite outer walls respectively and symmetrically bored with a position slot 445. Thus, after the rope holding bass 44 is inserted in the hollow portion 412 of the hand strap 41 through the threading slot 413, a band 446 can be inserted through the two position slots 445 and then has its opposite ends sewed together with the hand strap 41 to fix the rope holding base 44 in the hand strap 41 and enable the hand strap 41 to perform 3-D turning of 360 degrees by interaction of the arc-shaped recessed surface 444 inside the rope holding base 44 and the arc-shaped projecting surface 433 of the engage member 43.

The rope fitting holder 45, as shown in FIG. 7, is provided with a threaded tube 451 having its outer circumference formed with male threads 452 and its upper end extending outward diametrically and forming a brim 453 having a through center hollow 454 formed in the center. The hollow portion 454 has its upper end formed with a small-diameter hole 455 and its lower end formed with a large-diameter hole 456, and the small-diameter hole 455 has its inner wall formed with an arc-shaped recessed surface 457. The flexible rope 42 has its lower end inserted through the small-diameter hole 455 and its engage member 43 received in the large-diameter hole 456, letting the arc-shaped projecting surface 433 of the engage member 43 closely rest on the arc-shaped recessed surface 457 of inside the small-diameter hole 455. After the rope fitting holder 45 is threadably assembled with the tube base 33 by having the male threads 452 of its threaded tube 451 screwed with the large female-threaded hole 333 of the tube base 33, the brim 453 of the rope fitting holder 45 will be engaged in the position recess 335 of the tube base 33. Thus, the flexible rope 42 can perform 3-D turning of 360 degrees by interaction of the arc-shaped projecting surface 433 of the engage member 43 and the arc-shaped recessed surface 457 of the rope fitting holder 45.

In using, the hand strap 41 at the upper end of the bridle 40 is fitted around a surfer's hand by sticking the Velcro bands 411, 411 together and then the bridle 40 is pulled to control the board body 30 of the surfboard to position at an expected angle. In the course of surfboard operating, a relative friction between the bridle 41 and the board body 30 will occur, caused by turning of the bridle 41, but the hand strap 41 can still be controlled to turn around smoothly, as shown in FIG. 8, because the hand strap 41 is able to perform three-dimensional turning of 360 degrees by the interaction of the rope holding base 44 in the girdle 41 and the engage member 43 at the upper end of the flexible rope 42 and also by the interaction of the engage member 43 at the lower end of the flexible rope 42 and the rope fitting holder 45, able to prevent the flexible rope 42 from tangling and insure the surfboard to be operated smoothly.

Further, after the flexible rope 42 is inserted through the central through hole 434 of the bottom shell 431 of the engage member 43, it can be thermo-fused into a comparatively large head 421 to engage with the inner side of the central through hole 434, and it can also be combined with bottom shell 431 in a clamping or locking mode.

To sum up, this invention has the following advantages.

1. The two engage members 43 respectively provided at the opposite ends of the flexible rope 42 can respectively interact with the rope fitting holder 45 and the rope holding base 44 to carry out 3-D turning of 360 degrees; therefore, even if the flexible rope 42 of the bridle 40 is pulled horizontally, it still can be turned smoothly together with the board body 30 or the bridle 40, enabling the surfboard to be handled in an excellent condition.

2. The engage members 43 are made integral of plastic, impossible to rust and corrode and able to insure smooth turning.

3. It is simple in structure and is provided with no nylon rope, having a beautiful appearance and saving cost in material and labor.

4. The board connecting base 32 is threadably combined with the rope fitting holder 45, which is connected with the flexible rope 42 by means of the engage member 43, and the flexible rope 42 has its head 421 thermo-fused, solidified in shape and engaged with the engage member 43; therefore the whole structure is stable and secure without possibility of falling off.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A bridle device for a surfboard comprising a board body and a bridle, said board body having a connecting base in a preset portion, said bridle formed with a flexible rope, said flexible rope having its opposite ends respectively connected with said connecting base and a hand strap: and characterized by, A rope fitting holder formed with a through center hollow, said center hollow having its upper end formed with a small-diameter hole for the lower end of said flexible rope to be inserted therethrough, said small-diameter hole having its inner wall formed with an arc-shaped recessed surface: and An engage member connected with the lower end of said flexible rope after said flexible rope is inserted through said small-diameter hole of said rope fitting holder, said engage member having its upper inner side formed with an arc-shaped projecting surface, said arc-shaped projecting surface closely pushing against said arc-shaped recessed surface in the inner wall of said small-diameter hole of said rope fitting holder, said flexible rope able to perform three-dimensional turning of 360 degrees by interaction of said engage member and rope fitting holder.
 2. The bridle device for a surfboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible rope has its upper end connected with an engage member having its lower end formed with an arc-shaped projecting surface, and a tubular rope holding base is formed with a through center hollow having its opposite ends respectively formed with a large-diameter hole and a small-diameter hole, said small-diameter hole having its inner wall formed with an arc-shaped recessed surface, said flexible rope having its upper end inserted through said small-diameter hole, said engage member at the upper end of said flexible rope deposited in said rope holding base through said large-diameter hole, said engage member having said arc-shaped projecting surface closely pushing against said arc-shaped recessed surface in the inner wall of said small-diameter hole, said rope holding base having two symmetrical portions of its outer wall respectively bored with a position slot, a band inserted through said position slots after said rope holding base is wrapped in a preset portion of said hand strap, said band having its opposite ends sewed firmly with said hand strap, said hand strap able to perform three-dimensional turning of 360 degrees by interaction of said rope holding base and said engage member.
 3. The bridle device for a surfboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engage member is a sphere having a semi-spherical bottom shell and a semi-spherical top cap fitted together, said bottom shell having its outer circumference formed with an arc-shaped projecting surface, said bottom shell bored with a through hole in the center, said flexible rope having its end thermo-fused and formed with a comparatively large head after inserted through said through hole of said bottom shell, said large head at the end of said flexible rope engaged with the inner side of said through hole of said bottom shell.
 4. The bridle device for a surfboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rope fitting holder has its lower portion formed with a threaded tube having its outer circumference formed with male threads and its upper end extending outer diametrically and forming a comparatively large brim, said threaded tube and said brim formed with a through center hollow, said through hollow portion having its upper end formed with a comparatively small hole and its lower portion formed with a comparatively large hole, said board connecting base comprising a tube base and a rod base threadably combined together, said tube base formed with a connecting stud and a flange formed in an upper portion, and tube base also having its upper end bored with a large female-threaded hole in the center and a small female-threaded hole in said connecting stud, sail small female-threaded hole communicating with said large female-threaded hole, said large female-threaded hole having its outer circumference bored with a position recess, said rope fitting holder threadably connected with said tube base by screwing said male threads of said threaded tube with said large female-threaded hole of said tube base, said brim of said rope fitting holder received in said position recess of said tube base, said rod base formed with a male-threaded shank, said threaded shank having its lower end extending outward diametrically and a flange at its lower end, said flange bored with a groove, said connecting stud of said tube base threadably connected with said threaded shank of said rod base and inserted in a through combining hole bored vertically in a preset portion of said board body, said flange of said tube base and said flange of said rod base respectively and firmly pushing against the upper and the lower side of said board body. 